A fine resource for historians, theatrical productions, costumers, writers, antiquarians, and anyone else concerned with historical authenticity, this book is a virtual time capsule of American life in the Civil War era, describing everything from the pay grade of enlisted personnel—with images of the "postal currency" that substituted for coins—to common recipes and the idioms of the day. Discover what it was like to sit around a campfire cooking hellfire stew and "throwing the papers" with fellow soldiers, or pass the time with those back home at a "starvation party," where the only refreshment served was water. Period photos and engravings appear throughout.